Now that I am an adult and have a child of my own, this saying could not be any more true. When I was living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida I always knew that it was home to me; I was not worried one bit about leaving for college and not returning for 4 years, or even longer if need be. I knew where my family was and where I would always have a place to stay. Now that I'm a parent I feel like maybe I didn't really appreciate how great my home was or how often I miss it. Being married to Brian (and therefore the Army) and only being able to travel home when we are given time has made me realize how much I really do miss home and how it wouldn't be so bad of a place to come back to and raise Briley (and future children).
I think, perhaps, I was a bit spoiled by living 10 minutes from the prettiest beaches in the world. That's right, in the world. Try to top white sand beaches and emerald waters. What's that? Oh, you can't? I didn't think so. (See, like I said, spoiled. ;]) We always had the ability to go to the beach, from April all the way until October. So you better believe that on the weekends and after school we were there. The beaches are one very important part of home that I know is great and I never had to think twice about it. The other parts you don't think of as a kid: homes, real estate market, schools, jobs, cost of living. Those parts seem to fall by the wayside until you have a child to make you take these things into consideration.
While I was in school I didn't give a rat's ass about being there more than I had to. I also didn't care how great the school system was that I was in. Looking at it now from a different perspective I use my old schools as a measuring stick of how I would like the schools to be for Briley. I don't want her to be sold short on any opportunities. (After all, isn't that the intent of being a parent? To want our children to have more and do better than we did?) I want her future schools to have the option of taking AP (advanced placement) classes or IB (international baccalaureate) classes. I want her school to have an "A+" rating, her teachers to be intelligent, caring and to give a damn. I want Briley to have the option to play any sport for her school that she wants to. And I also want her to be in a diverse enough school where people have a difference of opinion but can still be friends. (Sounds like I'm describing a school out of a movie right? Well I'm not, I actually went to PUBLIC schools like this.)
The housing market everywhere kinda sucks in this recession, am I right? But most of the houses in my old town are affordable, and not ridiculous. No one needs 6 bedrooms anyway, right? But since a lot of the homes are older and ranch style they are more affordable to the average person. Because no one needs a mortgage payment that they can't afford. *Another added plus, they feel homier* :) Maybe it's just because it's what I grew up with, but I like the way the neighborhoods and homes are designed. It feels more "old school" and like a community, which I want B to have. To have friends in the neighborhood and to be able to run around and run amok. :)
I could go on forever, bottom line: I've realized that I love and miss my home. I come to realize that it's an amazing place to raise children. Both Brian and I have decided that we love and miss it, and want to raise our children there if we have the opportunity.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Days go by, and then it's Halloween
Oh hey there world, I forgot, I have a blog. Apparently it's not as great as I hoped it would be, but eh, it's still a blog. It would probably be easier to do if I didn't have a child, two dogs, a cat, and a husband to take care of. :)
I don't know how this is possible but Briley just turned 9 months old yesterday!! That's 40 weeks! 270 days!!! That's as much time out of the womb as she spent inside. I just can't believe it. It seems like just the other day I was going to the hospital to have her and poof, here we are getting ready to celebrate her first Halloween.
Speaking of Halloween, how is one supposed to celebrate Halloween with a 9 month old? I don't know about y'all but I am taking my super adorable baby out to get a little bit of free candy! ;) What do y'all do with your young kids? I think that you should always go, unless you are super sick or giving birth. It makes for such great memories. I can still remember back to some of my earlier Halloween's with my mom, my brother and my sister. We always had a great time even if it was 32 degrees and snowing! A few of the years my siblings and I had matching costumes, other years we kinda were a group thing, and other years we went as whatever we wanted to be that year. Bottom line, Halloween makes for some great memories, and I'm going to do my damnedest to take my kids every year :)
One of my favorite things about Halloween was that my mom would make our costumes. It was fun to see her work on them for a month, sometimes two, prior and to watch them take shape. I personally think that all the homemade ones are WAAAAAY better than the store bought. They always seem to be a little more creative and they always fit just right. I hope that I can be just like my mom and muster up the creative gusto and learn to sew for the sake of Briley's memories. :)
Needless to say, I am excited to celebrate Briley's first Halloween. What are y'all excited for this spooky Halloween?
I don't know how this is possible but Briley just turned 9 months old yesterday!! That's 40 weeks! 270 days!!! That's as much time out of the womb as she spent inside. I just can't believe it. It seems like just the other day I was going to the hospital to have her and poof, here we are getting ready to celebrate her first Halloween.
Speaking of Halloween, how is one supposed to celebrate Halloween with a 9 month old? I don't know about y'all but I am taking my super adorable baby out to get a little bit of free candy! ;) What do y'all do with your young kids? I think that you should always go, unless you are super sick or giving birth. It makes for such great memories. I can still remember back to some of my earlier Halloween's with my mom, my brother and my sister. We always had a great time even if it was 32 degrees and snowing! A few of the years my siblings and I had matching costumes, other years we kinda were a group thing, and other years we went as whatever we wanted to be that year. Bottom line, Halloween makes for some great memories, and I'm going to do my damnedest to take my kids every year :)
One of my favorite things about Halloween was that my mom would make our costumes. It was fun to see her work on them for a month, sometimes two, prior and to watch them take shape. I personally think that all the homemade ones are WAAAAAY better than the store bought. They always seem to be a little more creative and they always fit just right. I hope that I can be just like my mom and muster up the creative gusto and learn to sew for the sake of Briley's memories. :)
Needless to say, I am excited to celebrate Briley's first Halloween. What are y'all excited for this spooky Halloween?
Sunday, August 12, 2012
USA! USA! USA!!
Is anyone else a fanatic about the Olympics like I am? Or should I ask, is anyone else as sad about the Olympics being over as I am?
I am a FREAK for the Olympics! As in, I recorded all of the televised events to watch at my own disposal while avoiding Facebook updates, search engine spoilers, and even the news so that I wouldn't ruin my own Olympic experience. I have an Olympics bracelet, and I even changed my ringtone to the Olympic fanfare. I did say freak right? ;) I love watching all the different events and cheering for the US athlete or the underdog. I hate that they only come around every 4 years. WHY do they have to be so far apart?!
I love so many of the events. My favorites have to be the events that involve the pool or any gymnastics! They are so much fun to watch and I get very into them; I normally end up jumping and yelling and screaming at the TV trying to cheer on the athlete. This year I really got into the "random" events such as rythmic gymnastics, trampoline, synchronized swimming, and indoor cycling. I never realized how much training, practice, and effort go into the events that go so unrecognized. For instance, have you seen the throws in synchro? The team launches a member into the air while they stack up and can't touch the bottom of the pool! Talk about strength! And rythmic gymnastics, have you ever seen someone so stinking flexible?! If you didn't get a chance to see these events I suggest that you google or youtube them; I promise you won't be disappointed.
Another great aspect of the Olympics that I love is that the entire country comes together to root for our team. It seems that for two short weeks we can forget about the little problems in our life and watch in wonder and amazement at how the human body can be trained to perform. After emursing myself in the games for 2 weeks, I have decided that when Briley is 3, she needs to pick a sport to start. :) So maybe you'll see her in the 2028 Olympics!
So tell me, what were your favorite parts of the Olympics? :)
I am a FREAK for the Olympics! As in, I recorded all of the televised events to watch at my own disposal while avoiding Facebook updates, search engine spoilers, and even the news so that I wouldn't ruin my own Olympic experience. I have an Olympics bracelet, and I even changed my ringtone to the Olympic fanfare. I did say freak right? ;) I love watching all the different events and cheering for the US athlete or the underdog. I hate that they only come around every 4 years. WHY do they have to be so far apart?!
I love so many of the events. My favorites have to be the events that involve the pool or any gymnastics! They are so much fun to watch and I get very into them; I normally end up jumping and yelling and screaming at the TV trying to cheer on the athlete. This year I really got into the "random" events such as rythmic gymnastics, trampoline, synchronized swimming, and indoor cycling. I never realized how much training, practice, and effort go into the events that go so unrecognized. For instance, have you seen the throws in synchro? The team launches a member into the air while they stack up and can't touch the bottom of the pool! Talk about strength! And rythmic gymnastics, have you ever seen someone so stinking flexible?! If you didn't get a chance to see these events I suggest that you google or youtube them; I promise you won't be disappointed.
Another great aspect of the Olympics that I love is that the entire country comes together to root for our team. It seems that for two short weeks we can forget about the little problems in our life and watch in wonder and amazement at how the human body can be trained to perform. After emursing myself in the games for 2 weeks, I have decided that when Briley is 3, she needs to pick a sport to start. :) So maybe you'll see her in the 2028 Olympics!
So tell me, what were your favorite parts of the Olympics? :)
Friday, July 13, 2012
Never Will I Ever...
Wow, so I've been MIA for a hot minute...and I apologize for that. I've been super busy taking care of a baby that doesn't care to sleep. *sigh* Which makes for a very sleepy and not so all together mama. But now that I have a free minute, I decided that I would update my blog that hasn't been updated in *gulp* a little over 3 months! :O
Not too much has changed, hubs is still defending our freedom down range, I'm still a mom, and Briley is still a baby. Albeit a very quickly growing baby. I can't believe that she is almost 6 months old already. Where the hell has time gone? In the very quickly passing last few months, I've learned so much about becoming a mother and even about doing those things you swore you'd never do.
*Now just a little note for the next section: we are all different people, and that being said we are all different parents and out parenting styles are different. I do what I do to raise Briley because she is my child and what I've found she likes and works. So obviously you can agree or disagree, and you are free to do so, if you disagree just be respectful about it if you decide to voice your opinion.*
Before I actually held Briley in my arms I, like many parents, started listing off things that I swore that I'd never do. And again, like many parents, started doing those things left and right as long as they kept my baby calm and helped her sleep. I always swore that I never would have my baby sleep in my bed, let alone in my room; yup you guessed it, scratch that one off the list. I have had Briley sleeping in my room since night one and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love having her so close to me, and it is SUPER convenient considering she is exclusively breastfed. When she started her sleep regression and decided that sleeping was so no fun, it was also the best to be able to pull her into bed with me and let her sleep with me. There are so many people that are against co-sleeping for many reasons and I respect that, but I personally love it. Briley will only be littlr once and I take every chance I get to snuggle with her. And for those of you who are saying, "Don't! She will get used to it, then she will only sleep with you." She sleeps just fine on her own in her own bed for night time and for naps. The co-sleep cuddling is for me, not her. Whenever she wakes up in the night, we co-sleep for about 30 minutes and she will go back to her bed. Works like a charm.
Something else that I swore that I never would do was cloth diapers (will be referred to as CD). I told myself that it wouldn't be worth the hassle. We really wouldn't be saving that much money. That I was never going to be able to do the laundry every third day or so. I would never put my hands near a CD full of poop. I would never like them any more than disposable diapers. Well now I am eating my words. I LOVE my CD. I have been able to keep up with the laundry (which is not bad by the way) and I like them so much more than disposables. A box of size 2 Pampers (my preferred brand)diapers today costs $49.99 for 200 diapers. I change Briley an average of 7-8 times a day. So you do the math, and those diapers will last me maybe 25 days, so less than a month. I spent around $200 total on my CD and all the stuff to go along with them; I will be using them until Briley is potty trained and for my next children as well. Money saver? Hell yes! Not to mention that the patterns are absolutely adorable! Needless to say, I love my CD.
I think that there are many more things that I am currently doing that I swore I'd never do, and I'm sure that there will be another post about them. But alas, my child awakens, motherhood calls...and I should be updating more frequently again.
Also, any ideas for future posts? ;)
Not too much has changed, hubs is still defending our freedom down range, I'm still a mom, and Briley is still a baby. Albeit a very quickly growing baby. I can't believe that she is almost 6 months old already. Where the hell has time gone? In the very quickly passing last few months, I've learned so much about becoming a mother and even about doing those things you swore you'd never do.
*Now just a little note for the next section: we are all different people, and that being said we are all different parents and out parenting styles are different. I do what I do to raise Briley because she is my child and what I've found she likes and works. So obviously you can agree or disagree, and you are free to do so, if you disagree just be respectful about it if you decide to voice your opinion.*
Before I actually held Briley in my arms I, like many parents, started listing off things that I swore that I'd never do. And again, like many parents, started doing those things left and right as long as they kept my baby calm and helped her sleep. I always swore that I never would have my baby sleep in my bed, let alone in my room; yup you guessed it, scratch that one off the list. I have had Briley sleeping in my room since night one and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love having her so close to me, and it is SUPER convenient considering she is exclusively breastfed. When she started her sleep regression and decided that sleeping was so no fun, it was also the best to be able to pull her into bed with me and let her sleep with me. There are so many people that are against co-sleeping for many reasons and I respect that, but I personally love it. Briley will only be littlr once and I take every chance I get to snuggle with her. And for those of you who are saying, "Don't! She will get used to it, then she will only sleep with you." She sleeps just fine on her own in her own bed for night time and for naps. The co-sleep cuddling is for me, not her. Whenever she wakes up in the night, we co-sleep for about 30 minutes and she will go back to her bed. Works like a charm.
Something else that I swore that I never would do was cloth diapers (will be referred to as CD). I told myself that it wouldn't be worth the hassle. We really wouldn't be saving that much money. That I was never going to be able to do the laundry every third day or so. I would never put my hands near a CD full of poop. I would never like them any more than disposable diapers. Well now I am eating my words. I LOVE my CD. I have been able to keep up with the laundry (which is not bad by the way) and I like them so much more than disposables. A box of size 2 Pampers (my preferred brand)diapers today costs $49.99 for 200 diapers. I change Briley an average of 7-8 times a day. So you do the math, and those diapers will last me maybe 25 days, so less than a month. I spent around $200 total on my CD and all the stuff to go along with them; I will be using them until Briley is potty trained and for my next children as well. Money saver? Hell yes! Not to mention that the patterns are absolutely adorable! Needless to say, I love my CD.
I think that there are many more things that I am currently doing that I swore I'd never do, and I'm sure that there will be another post about them. But alas, my child awakens, motherhood calls...and I should be updating more frequently again.
Also, any ideas for future posts? ;)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
First Plane Ride
Chello y'all!
It's been a while since my last post, it seems even though I don't have a job or school right now, I am busy busy busy!
Yesterday there was a new experience that my little girl had. Her first plane ride! The first plane ride was amazing. I took a picture to document it, but unfortunately I couldn't reach my video camera to document it further :( Briley slept the entire flight which wasn't far (just from Fayetteville to Charlotte), but still the entire flight. And I was one proud mama. I as so fearful that she was going to just scream the entire time, but she just conked right out.
Once we got to Charlotte, it was a different story. We had a 4 hour layover and man was it hell. Whatever I did Briley was just not a happy camper. I changed her, fed her (which was an experience in itself, I'll explain later), tried to sit and pat her butt, walked her around, drove her around in the stroller, carried her in the carrier nothing was working. She was exhausted and so was I, yet she was fighting sleep horribly. Granted it was her bedtime and we were in a loud and bright airport. The lifesaver in this hell of a layover? Rockingchairs. The Charlotte airport has them everywhere in the terminals, and I love them! They are the perfect seat to have with a baby. I sat, put Briley's pacifer in her mouth, and rocked. In five minutes she was out! It was a miracle. She continued to sleep all the way through boarding the plane, take off, and the entire flight. She only woke up when we landed in Fort Walton and taxied to the gate. However she did fall right back asleep. I was one proud mama, considering there was a ridiculously loud 5 year old with a pacifier on the flight and my 2 month old did not make one peep! :)
Okay, so back to feeding my daughter. Now I'm a breastfeeding mama, and I'm proud of it; however, I am not comfortable with just whipping my boob out anywhere in public, I am the kind to cover up when I do it. (Nothing against the mama's that do, more power to you ladies!) I looked for the calmest place in the airport, with any form of comfortable available seating. Do you know how hard that is?! I must've looked for a good 20-30 minutes all the while with a baby who was threatening to scream. After looking and finding the best place to feed her, I had to wrangle my screaming child and my tanktop along with my bra and the blanket to cover. It was a sight to see. As soon and I got Briley and myself situated and she was eating, I got the most ridiculous looks from people. They were staring at me like I had two heads. I don't know if they have ever seen a woman feeding her child, but they made me feel super awkward, and if you know me, you know that that is hard to do. *Sigh* I'm just glad that the experience is out of the way, until 10 days from now when we will do the same thing going back home. ;)
Moral of my story: try not to have a ridiculously long layover. It will be better on you and your child(ren). :)
It's been a while since my last post, it seems even though I don't have a job or school right now, I am busy busy busy!
Yesterday there was a new experience that my little girl had. Her first plane ride! The first plane ride was amazing. I took a picture to document it, but unfortunately I couldn't reach my video camera to document it further :( Briley slept the entire flight which wasn't far (just from Fayetteville to Charlotte), but still the entire flight. And I was one proud mama. I as so fearful that she was going to just scream the entire time, but she just conked right out.
Once we got to Charlotte, it was a different story. We had a 4 hour layover and man was it hell. Whatever I did Briley was just not a happy camper. I changed her, fed her (which was an experience in itself, I'll explain later), tried to sit and pat her butt, walked her around, drove her around in the stroller, carried her in the carrier nothing was working. She was exhausted and so was I, yet she was fighting sleep horribly. Granted it was her bedtime and we were in a loud and bright airport. The lifesaver in this hell of a layover? Rockingchairs. The Charlotte airport has them everywhere in the terminals, and I love them! They are the perfect seat to have with a baby. I sat, put Briley's pacifer in her mouth, and rocked. In five minutes she was out! It was a miracle. She continued to sleep all the way through boarding the plane, take off, and the entire flight. She only woke up when we landed in Fort Walton and taxied to the gate. However she did fall right back asleep. I was one proud mama, considering there was a ridiculously loud 5 year old with a pacifier on the flight and my 2 month old did not make one peep! :)
Okay, so back to feeding my daughter. Now I'm a breastfeeding mama, and I'm proud of it; however, I am not comfortable with just whipping my boob out anywhere in public, I am the kind to cover up when I do it. (Nothing against the mama's that do, more power to you ladies!) I looked for the calmest place in the airport, with any form of comfortable available seating. Do you know how hard that is?! I must've looked for a good 20-30 minutes all the while with a baby who was threatening to scream. After looking and finding the best place to feed her, I had to wrangle my screaming child and my tanktop along with my bra and the blanket to cover. It was a sight to see. As soon and I got Briley and myself situated and she was eating, I got the most ridiculous looks from people. They were staring at me like I had two heads. I don't know if they have ever seen a woman feeding her child, but they made me feel super awkward, and if you know me, you know that that is hard to do. *Sigh* I'm just glad that the experience is out of the way, until 10 days from now when we will do the same thing going back home. ;)
Moral of my story: try not to have a ridiculously long layover. It will be better on you and your child(ren). :)
Saturday, March 24, 2012
And the countdown begins..
Well, my amazing husband has been gone for a little over one week. I don't know if I should end that sentence with an "already" or "only". This deployment so far has been completely different that the last one. I think the biggest change is the fact that I have a daughter. I thought that I would be really sad at this point, but Briley has kept me smiling and busy all day long; not to mention my bestie Brooke and her son Newt have kept us both entertained. :)
The hardest thing is going from living with someone to living by yourself with a baby. Ugh, sometimes I wish that I had an extra arm just to be able to let the dogs out or to shoo the cat off the couch. It is difficult to have to do everything by yourself. Now that we are getting better at our routine I think that it'll get easier. But I guess that we will see :)
Oh, and I have Brian's address so anyone that wants it please contact me.
The hardest thing is going from living with someone to living by yourself with a baby. Ugh, sometimes I wish that I had an extra arm just to be able to let the dogs out or to shoo the cat off the couch. It is difficult to have to do everything by yourself. Now that we are getting better at our routine I think that it'll get easier. But I guess that we will see :)
Oh, and I have Brian's address so anyone that wants it please contact me.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Here we go again
So yesterday my husband left for deployment. And with him he took my heart, and my soul, and what feels like half of my body. I love him more than words can say and miss hom so much already. This being my second deployment I thought that it would be easier, right? Wrong! If anything it feels just like I'm doing this for the first time all over again.
I know that Brian and I both felt like this deployment crept up on us some how. I don't know where the time has slipped away to; I feel like just yesterday we were at the hospital holding a just born Briley. And next thing we know, there were are standing on Devil Field in 82 degree weather surrounded by multi-cam. This time saying good bye wasn't any easier for either of us. I felt my heart literally breaking as Brian was holding Briley and kissing us both good bye for last time for 9 months. Watching Brian holding his 6 week old daughter, I could see the realization on his face as it registered how much he was actually going to be missing in the next months. I think that moment is what truly hit me the hardest and made me cry like a baby.
Going through the rest of the day wasn't so bad because I spent it with Brooke, one of my newest best friends. And we went to see our friend Monica's brand new baby boy Bryce. (By the way he is a beautiful baby boy.) But after the whole "keeping myself busy" for a few hours, I had to do what I dreaded most: go home. As soon as I walked through the door and took care of the animals, I saw the note that my amazingly sweet husband left me I lost it. I just leaned against the wall and let myself cry. I gave myself only 5 minutes, and then I held it together pretty well until Briley's bath and bed time. Going to sleep in my queen sized bed all alone was a sad realization that this deployment is real.
So here we are again, this time I'm not just a wife but a mother. And I have to be strong and set an example for my daughter. We love and miss you Brian! We are so proud of you! Stay safe and come home soon. <3
I know that Brian and I both felt like this deployment crept up on us some how. I don't know where the time has slipped away to; I feel like just yesterday we were at the hospital holding a just born Briley. And next thing we know, there were are standing on Devil Field in 82 degree weather surrounded by multi-cam. This time saying good bye wasn't any easier for either of us. I felt my heart literally breaking as Brian was holding Briley and kissing us both good bye for last time for 9 months. Watching Brian holding his 6 week old daughter, I could see the realization on his face as it registered how much he was actually going to be missing in the next months. I think that moment is what truly hit me the hardest and made me cry like a baby.
Going through the rest of the day wasn't so bad because I spent it with Brooke, one of my newest best friends. And we went to see our friend Monica's brand new baby boy Bryce. (By the way he is a beautiful baby boy.) But after the whole "keeping myself busy" for a few hours, I had to do what I dreaded most: go home. As soon as I walked through the door and took care of the animals, I saw the note that my amazingly sweet husband left me I lost it. I just leaned against the wall and let myself cry. I gave myself only 5 minutes, and then I held it together pretty well until Briley's bath and bed time. Going to sleep in my queen sized bed all alone was a sad realization that this deployment is real.
So here we are again, this time I'm not just a wife but a mother. And I have to be strong and set an example for my daughter. We love and miss you Brian! We are so proud of you! Stay safe and come home soon. <3
Sunday, March 11, 2012
I suck...
Hey y'all! I suck, I'm sorry it's so long between posts. This one is just going to be a little quick one because I have been super busy and have so much to do in the next few days. But right now I've been focused on having family time and soaking it all up for the next little while. My next post will probably be in a few days, so thanks for reading along and more importantly, being patient. :)
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Pre-deployment
Now if you are a military spouse, then you already know what those two little words mean. If you aren't then you can't fully grasp how those two little words affect a military family's life. Right now we are in the pre-deployment phase, and again for those of you that don't know, it sucks.
Pre-depoyment means many things; one, that your soldier is about to be gone for a long period of time to a foreign country where there is more danger than most can imagine. Two, that your soldier's leadership are cramming all the paperwork and training that they should have been doing for the last month or two into the last two weeks before deployment so they are at work until some God-awful hour of the night when they should be at home soaking up the last precious days with their families. Three, spending the money that you don't really have on all the last minute things that your solider "needs" (again, according to leadership) like a 4" patch sewn on his ruck that costs $60!! Yeesh! And four, the stress and anxiety of the deployment possibly taking a toll on your relationship.
Now for any family members reading this the first thing that you have to understand for deployment is OPSEC or operational security. This means that no dates or places related to deployment are posted on anything, ESPECIALLY on Facebook. Any information can put my soldier in danger along with others, and if you do that, I will have no problem kicking your ass. So what I CAN tell you is that Brian will be leaving soon, and he will be gone for 6-9 months to Afghanistan. If you would like to know more, send me a message and I can explain more.
Right now, I feel that the pre-deployment phase isn't real, which I know is stupid to say because obviously it is. I can say that knowing that my husband is leaving in a short amount of time for about 6-9 months is real because I can see it in the look on his face every time he looks at Briley. I can see him staring at her and already calculating how much he is going to miss every month that he is away. And that part breaks my heart. Don't get me wrong, I am going to miss my husband more than words can say. It'll be like missing a body part. But knowing that my daughter will be missing her daddy and he will be missing her tears me up. :( I will be fine, I will adjust, I'll act like everything is okay, because I have my daughter to set an example for and to keep me strong. And we will just be counting down the days until Daddy comes home.
Pre-depoyment means many things; one, that your soldier is about to be gone for a long period of time to a foreign country where there is more danger than most can imagine. Two, that your soldier's leadership are cramming all the paperwork and training that they should have been doing for the last month or two into the last two weeks before deployment so they are at work until some God-awful hour of the night when they should be at home soaking up the last precious days with their families. Three, spending the money that you don't really have on all the last minute things that your solider "needs" (again, according to leadership) like a 4" patch sewn on his ruck that costs $60!! Yeesh! And four, the stress and anxiety of the deployment possibly taking a toll on your relationship.
Now for any family members reading this the first thing that you have to understand for deployment is OPSEC or operational security. This means that no dates or places related to deployment are posted on anything, ESPECIALLY on Facebook. Any information can put my soldier in danger along with others, and if you do that, I will have no problem kicking your ass. So what I CAN tell you is that Brian will be leaving soon, and he will be gone for 6-9 months to Afghanistan. If you would like to know more, send me a message and I can explain more.
Right now, I feel that the pre-deployment phase isn't real, which I know is stupid to say because obviously it is. I can say that knowing that my husband is leaving in a short amount of time for about 6-9 months is real because I can see it in the look on his face every time he looks at Briley. I can see him staring at her and already calculating how much he is going to miss every month that he is away. And that part breaks my heart. Don't get me wrong, I am going to miss my husband more than words can say. It'll be like missing a body part. But knowing that my daughter will be missing her daddy and he will be missing her tears me up. :( I will be fine, I will adjust, I'll act like everything is okay, because I have my daughter to set an example for and to keep me strong. And we will just be counting down the days until Daddy comes home.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Long time, no post!
Hey y'all!!
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted last, but I guess that having a baby does that to you! ;) First of all Happy Valentine's Day (or if you're bitter and hate this day, then Happy Single Awareness Day to you!)! I hope that you get to spend the day with the one or ones that you love most.
Most people are stuck in the mind set that Valentine's Day is the one day a year when you show that special someone that you love exactly how much you love them. I think Adam Sandler said it, or tweeted it rather, best; he said "those of you guys who are only treating your lady like a queen one day a year are failing the other 364". I think that this is one of the smartest things that he's ever said (now if you've seen Adam Sandler's movies, you know what I'm talking about). Now not that it just applies to men treating their ladies, but also to the ladies treating their men. I think the mind set that we show our love on only one day a year is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Now guys, I'm not saying that you have to come home everyday with a fresh boquet of flowers for your lady (or ladies slaving over the stove to cook his favorite meals everyday); but for me it's the little things that say "I love you" the loudest and the things that you may want to try everyday. For example, when my hubby does the little things for me like load and unload the dishwasher without me mentioning it, or bringing down the laundry hamper and getting the first load of laundry started. To me, these are the biggest expressions of love because Brian knows that he is helping me out. And I know that Brian loves it when I massage his scalp when we lay on the couch, or when I rub his back before he drifts off to sleep, and the greatest thing when I stop by the class six and pick up a six pack and put it in the fridge just because.
So I think that love needs to be shown everyday, not always in grand gestures, but in the little things. Because if we are just waiting around for that one day a year, should our better half sit around and wait for us? <3
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted last, but I guess that having a baby does that to you! ;) First of all Happy Valentine's Day (or if you're bitter and hate this day, then Happy Single Awareness Day to you!)! I hope that you get to spend the day with the one or ones that you love most.
Most people are stuck in the mind set that Valentine's Day is the one day a year when you show that special someone that you love exactly how much you love them. I think Adam Sandler said it, or tweeted it rather, best; he said "those of you guys who are only treating your lady like a queen one day a year are failing the other 364". I think that this is one of the smartest things that he's ever said (now if you've seen Adam Sandler's movies, you know what I'm talking about). Now not that it just applies to men treating their ladies, but also to the ladies treating their men. I think the mind set that we show our love on only one day a year is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
Now guys, I'm not saying that you have to come home everyday with a fresh boquet of flowers for your lady (or ladies slaving over the stove to cook his favorite meals everyday); but for me it's the little things that say "I love you" the loudest and the things that you may want to try everyday. For example, when my hubby does the little things for me like load and unload the dishwasher without me mentioning it, or bringing down the laundry hamper and getting the first load of laundry started. To me, these are the biggest expressions of love because Brian knows that he is helping me out. And I know that Brian loves it when I massage his scalp when we lay on the couch, or when I rub his back before he drifts off to sleep, and the greatest thing when I stop by the class six and pick up a six pack and put it in the fridge just because.
So I think that love needs to be shown everyday, not always in grand gestures, but in the little things. Because if we are just waiting around for that one day a year, should our better half sit around and wait for us? <3
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| My Little Valentine <3 |
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Life
Today life taught me another lesson: that life is short. You only have a certain time on the earth, and you don't know when your time is up. You need to live your life the best way that you know how and tell those that you love how much they mean to you. I love my family so much and I don't know what I would do without any of them.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Sleep? What is this sleep you speak of?
Well ladies and gentlemen, it's officially been a week since I gave birth to my daughter Briley, and I can't believe how fast the week has flown! Well the days anyway. The nights have been a completely different story. I feel like I gave a birth to an owl instead of a human. I used to love the nights, sleeping as long as I wanted, so long as I didn't have to get up for something in the morning.
Now with a baby, the nights are more dreaded. Briley feels that the night time is the best time to be awake and she should keep mommy awake with her. I mean hell, as far as she is concerned if she's awake then the rest of the world should party with her! ;) Don't get me wrong, it's not like she just doesn't sleep, it's just that the sleeping periods are short and broken up. Add that with a seriously paranoid mommy and you can just kiss sleep good-bye.
Now for those of you that have never had a newborn let me give you a little run down of a mock
schedule of my night time:
7:00 pm- eat dinner
8:00 pm- feed and change Briley
(hopefully she doesn't wake up between these time periods)
11:00 pm- get ready for bed, and take all the stuff I need upstairs for Briley and feed her before *hopefully* falling alseep
12:00 am- actually falling asleep
(hopefully not waking up to random crying or cooing)
3:00 am- feed and change Briley
(hopefully not waking up to random crying or cooing)
5-6 am- feed and change Briley
And from there I try to fall back asleep until she wakes up for the day, well technically her "night". ;) And I do try to nap when she naps, however with 2 dogs and a cat and being on a schedule for the past 22 years of sleeping during the night, it's hard to break that habit. So like I said, sleep? What is this sleep you speak of? I'm sure that one day, hopefully in the not to far future I will get to know this sleep again.
Now with a baby, the nights are more dreaded. Briley feels that the night time is the best time to be awake and she should keep mommy awake with her. I mean hell, as far as she is concerned if she's awake then the rest of the world should party with her! ;) Don't get me wrong, it's not like she just doesn't sleep, it's just that the sleeping periods are short and broken up. Add that with a seriously paranoid mommy and you can just kiss sleep good-bye.
Now for those of you that have never had a newborn let me give you a little run down of a mock
schedule of my night time:
7:00 pm- eat dinner
8:00 pm- feed and change Briley
(hopefully she doesn't wake up between these time periods)
11:00 pm- get ready for bed, and take all the stuff I need upstairs for Briley and feed her before *hopefully* falling alseep
12:00 am- actually falling asleep
(hopefully not waking up to random crying or cooing)
3:00 am- feed and change Briley
(hopefully not waking up to random crying or cooing)
5-6 am- feed and change Briley
And from there I try to fall back asleep until she wakes up for the day, well technically her "night". ;) And I do try to nap when she naps, however with 2 dogs and a cat and being on a schedule for the past 22 years of sleeping during the night, it's hard to break that habit. So like I said, sleep? What is this sleep you speak of? I'm sure that one day, hopefully in the not to far future I will get to know this sleep again.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Just call me Mommy!!!
As of January 25, 2012 at 5:53 pm, I became a mommy to a beautiful baby girl weighing 8 lb 13oz and 21.5" long named Briley Elizabeth!! I am more in love with my daughter than words can say :D <3 She is also the reason that I've been MIA from the blogging world. So now the adventures of being a mommy actually begin, and I'm sure it's going to be a wild ride. So bare with me folks as I figure out how to balance my new love in my life and keep blogging. 
Friday, January 20, 2012
Baby mama drama
Well l went to my doctor appointment yesterday and I thought it was going to be just a boring, run of the mill appointment. Boy was I wrong. I got my vitals taken and to my surprise my blood pressure was high. So I told the nurse and asked her to take it again, she obliged and when it was taken the second time it was only a a little lower, not enough to be significant. When I actually saw my doctor she was a little concerned and said she would check it once more at the end of my appointment. I looked nervously to my husband who took my hand and gave me looks of comfort and support.
We listened to the baby's heartbeat, which was nice and strong at 143, and then I was checked for dilation. I prepared myself for that "invasion" and expected to hear that I'm not dilated. However to both mine and my husband's surprise, my doctor said I was 2 cm dilated. She moved on to check my blood pressure and was not happy with the results. My blood pressure was high so she ordered "the works" at the lab for me (pee in a cup, and a few vials of blood, plus a 24 hour urine collection *sigh*). The doctor told me that because of my symptoms she needed to know if it was preeclampsia or gestational hypertension that was causing this, either way she wasn't panicked, but she wasn't thrilled either. She told me that either way she should want me to have the baby sometime next week!!! (Ahhh!!)
After I completed my appointment I was sent to the lab for them to steal my fluids. After the labs I was sent up to Labor & Delivery to have my blood pressure monitored.
I was hooked up to a machine that monitored my BP, baby's heart rate, and contractions. I was monitored up in L&D for over an hour and had my blood pressure go down to a level that everyone was comfortable with, and the labs were normal, so I was sent home. Currently I am doing the 24 hour preeclampsia test, and will turn it in tomorrow to await my results on Monday. My next appointment is Tuesday and we will more than likely have more information and possibly have an induction date to meet our first baby. :D
So much for a regular day at the hospital, 5 hours was enough for me for one week. Hopefully I can update y'all with good news early next week! :)
We listened to the baby's heartbeat, which was nice and strong at 143, and then I was checked for dilation. I prepared myself for that "invasion" and expected to hear that I'm not dilated. However to both mine and my husband's surprise, my doctor said I was 2 cm dilated. She moved on to check my blood pressure and was not happy with the results. My blood pressure was high so she ordered "the works" at the lab for me (pee in a cup, and a few vials of blood, plus a 24 hour urine collection *sigh*). The doctor told me that because of my symptoms she needed to know if it was preeclampsia or gestational hypertension that was causing this, either way she wasn't panicked, but she wasn't thrilled either. She told me that either way she should want me to have the baby sometime next week!!! (Ahhh!!)
After I completed my appointment I was sent to the lab for them to steal my fluids. After the labs I was sent up to Labor & Delivery to have my blood pressure monitored.
I was hooked up to a machine that monitored my BP, baby's heart rate, and contractions. I was monitored up in L&D for over an hour and had my blood pressure go down to a level that everyone was comfortable with, and the labs were normal, so I was sent home. Currently I am doing the 24 hour preeclampsia test, and will turn it in tomorrow to await my results on Monday. My next appointment is Tuesday and we will more than likely have more information and possibly have an induction date to meet our first baby. :D
So much for a regular day at the hospital, 5 hours was enough for me for one week. Hopefully I can update y'all with good news early next week! :)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Little Miracles
Today, I when I woke up this morning all I could think about was the pain in my hips, discomfort in my belly, and the lack of sleep I had just endured. Most of the day I find myself focusing on the aches and pains and the "ugh, I'm ready to be done with being pregnant". However this morning, I also took the time to look at my ever-so-large belly and realize what a miracle it really is to be pregnant. I think most women in the beginning are more focused on the excitement of "Oh my God, I'm actually pregnant" and realize the miracle of it happening. But after the 9 months of doctor appointments, weight gain, and impatience of waiting to meet our little one that we lose focus on the miracle.
Today at 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant, I realized how much of a miracle the process of growing another human being inside of me really is. And the small chance that it is that you end up pregnant in the first place. It's so amazing to see how the human female body changes to house a little one for 9 months and keep it safe and protected from the outside world. I feel that pregnancy is such a beautiful thing, that maybe we pregnant gals don't feel so much of the beautiful, as we do the changing. The bottom line is that as much as I "bitch" about being huge and pregnant and my hormones being out of whack, I wouldn't change any part of it for the world. I am so excited to be able to carry a baby, to be happy and healthy for an entire 9 months, and to know that I can grow a healthy baby.
I can't wait to see what parts of me and what parts of Brian the baby has. To kiss those little chunky cheeks and tickle those tiny toes! I think that for me the true miracle will set in when I hold my son/daughter in my arms after carrying him/her for 9 long months. I know that once I look into those little eyes, it'll hit me, that my husband and I made this little life and it is ours, and we are theirs, forever.
Today at 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant, I realized how much of a miracle the process of growing another human being inside of me really is. And the small chance that it is that you end up pregnant in the first place. It's so amazing to see how the human female body changes to house a little one for 9 months and keep it safe and protected from the outside world. I feel that pregnancy is such a beautiful thing, that maybe we pregnant gals don't feel so much of the beautiful, as we do the changing. The bottom line is that as much as I "bitch" about being huge and pregnant and my hormones being out of whack, I wouldn't change any part of it for the world. I am so excited to be able to carry a baby, to be happy and healthy for an entire 9 months, and to know that I can grow a healthy baby.
I can't wait to see what parts of me and what parts of Brian the baby has. To kiss those little chunky cheeks and tickle those tiny toes! I think that for me the true miracle will set in when I hold my son/daughter in my arms after carrying him/her for 9 long months. I know that once I look into those little eyes, it'll hit me, that my husband and I made this little life and it is ours, and we are theirs, forever.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The joys of being a grown up
I know there is no greater joy than having your own place to live, however when this place is given to you by the government, eh, the place isn't the greatest. Being military my husband gets the option and the benefit to have a house on post (what the Army calls the military installation). Now don't get me wrong, we are thankful to have a place to live and call our own, but lately the company that does our housing has just pissed me off. Piscern is the name of the privatized housing company and at first they were great. But it seems that the longer we live here the more frustrated I become.
There are pros and cons to living on post, however today my list of cons seems to outweigh the pros just because I am in a pissy mood. We live in a 2 bedroom 1.5 bathroom duplex with a garage, its nice and all and has about 1500 square feet; it's nothing huge but it works for the two (soon to be three of us). However, our home is NOT worth the $1100 that the Army gives us for BAH (basic allowance for housing). Because we live on post in the military housing they keep all of our BAH and we don't see a cent of it. Now if our house was worth all of our BAH I wouldn't have a problem with them keeping in all but when the place you live clearly doesn't add up to that amount it's frustrating to have the Army keep it.
Now, a pro to living on post, we don't pay for our utilities. I guess you could say that some of our BAH goes towards that as well, but it's still frustrating to not have the "extra" money to pocket. Another pro is when something is wrong or broken in the house you call maintenance to come fix it for you. When you have your own house you fix it yourself. Yet another con to the pro, the maintenance guys are always a pain to get a hold of and to have them fix the problem the first time, let alone actually getting them out to your home within a few days of the issue happening. For example, today Brian and my carbon monoxide detectors randomly started to beep, not go off, but just beep. We tried resetting them, unplugging them, and then putting them back in and nothing has worked. Well because it is Sunday, maintenance is off today and because tomorrow is MLK day, they will be off again. *sigh* So we are hoping that we can get a hold of someone on Tuesday morning and get someone out here by Wednesday to fix this rather annoying issue.
Sorry that this post is more like a whiny vent rather than anything important or entertaining. Just some Army wife insight on a "perk" of the military.
There are pros and cons to living on post, however today my list of cons seems to outweigh the pros just because I am in a pissy mood. We live in a 2 bedroom 1.5 bathroom duplex with a garage, its nice and all and has about 1500 square feet; it's nothing huge but it works for the two (soon to be three of us). However, our home is NOT worth the $1100 that the Army gives us for BAH (basic allowance for housing). Because we live on post in the military housing they keep all of our BAH and we don't see a cent of it. Now if our house was worth all of our BAH I wouldn't have a problem with them keeping in all but when the place you live clearly doesn't add up to that amount it's frustrating to have the Army keep it.
Now, a pro to living on post, we don't pay for our utilities. I guess you could say that some of our BAH goes towards that as well, but it's still frustrating to not have the "extra" money to pocket. Another pro is when something is wrong or broken in the house you call maintenance to come fix it for you. When you have your own house you fix it yourself. Yet another con to the pro, the maintenance guys are always a pain to get a hold of and to have them fix the problem the first time, let alone actually getting them out to your home within a few days of the issue happening. For example, today Brian and my carbon monoxide detectors randomly started to beep, not go off, but just beep. We tried resetting them, unplugging them, and then putting them back in and nothing has worked. Well because it is Sunday, maintenance is off today and because tomorrow is MLK day, they will be off again. *sigh* So we are hoping that we can get a hold of someone on Tuesday morning and get someone out here by Wednesday to fix this rather annoying issue.
Sorry that this post is more like a whiny vent rather than anything important or entertaining. Just some Army wife insight on a "perk" of the military.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
A picture is worth a thousand words...
So today was my maternity photo shoot and needless to say I was nervous. I'm not one that likes to have my picture taken normally but add a belly, growing boobs, and a level of uncomfort that I've never been on before and you can say that I was down right dreading it. Luckily I had my best friend Sierra taking my pictures, and because she knows me so well she already knew how I was going to be. (By the way go like her page on Facebook: Sierra Ritchie Photography.)
At first I wasn't sure where or what I wanted for my pictures, but after a few simple poses my hubby and I got into it a little more and the ideas and such started flowing. Sierra starting giving more direction and the shoot started to form itself. :) You could say that we all got a little more into it and we had a great time walking downtown and finding interesting spots to take pictures. I loved the simplicity of the poses and the shots that we took and I'm really hoping that they turn out half as good as I think they will. :)
After a great afternoon of taking pictures, I am definitely excited to get them back after Sierra finishes editing and going through them. I just hope that I get a little sneak preview before she puts them up on Facebook. ;)
Now that we have officially taken the maternity pictures this little baby can decide to grace us with it's presence whenever it's little heart desires. (And for this mommy's sake, I hope that it's sooner than later!!)
Friday, January 13, 2012
By dawn's early light...
Well hello there world of the wide web. This is Stephanie (a new blogger) who is going to be learning how to do this, or learn to get better, with each post along the way. This is my first official post on my blog and I’m not even sure where to start…
I’m a 23 year old Army wife who is still learning who I am with each passing day. My husband Brian, 24, is a sergeant with 7 years in the U.S. Army. We are stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina awaiting our next orders. In not too many more passing days my title of woman and wife changes to “mommy”,and that is an entirely new ballgame all together. We are impatiently awaiting the arrival of our first child, which could technically be any day now. I am currently 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant with our first child and we both couldn’t be happier or more nervous.
I started this blog mainly to have a place to write and get out what I’m feeling; and to share my adventures of being a wife and becoming a new mommy. Stick with me folks, I’m sure it’ll get really interesting here soon!
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